Together Energy customer? Check your final bill now as hundreds of customers have been wrongly charged a £40 exit fee

Together Energy ceased trading on 18 January, with British Gas appointed to take on all 176,000 customers on 24 January. Despite not actively choosing to leave Together Energy, however, some customers on a fixed tariff have been told they must pay an early-contract termination fee of £40.

British Gas said it has spoken to Together Energy's administrators, who made the mistake, and confirmed the issue has impacted "about 800" customers. British Gas told MSE that these customers should not have and will not be charged the £40 fee. 

If you're struggling to pay your energy bills, see our energy bill help guide. 

If the incorrect £40 fee has been added to your final bill, you don't need to do anything

British Gas confirmed the incorrect £40 fee has not been taken yet and that customers will be sent a new bill containing the correct costs.

The energy company told us customers do not need to do anything but that it will “reassure any customers” who do contact the company with concerns over the charge. Impacted customers will receive an updated and correct final bill shortly - you do not need to pay your bill before you've received the amended statement. 

If you do wish to contact British Gas customer services then you can do so by either calling it on 0333 202 9804 or by using its the online online chat.

What do British Gas and Ofgem say?

A British Gas spokesperson said: "We’ve spoken to Together Energy’s administrators and they’ve confirmed this is a mistake impacting a small number of customers transferring over to us. The final bills which they issued showing the exit fees will be removed and customers will see this replaced with the correct bill."

A spokesperson for energy regulator Ofgem added: "Consumers who are switched to a new supplier because their supplier has left the market should not be charged exit fees because they have not ended a contract prematurely. Where this happens, we’d advise consumers to contact the administrator of the failed supplier, which in this case is Together Energy."

Struggling to pay your energy bill? More help is available

The massive upcoming hike to the price cap will pile on the pressure for many households already struggling with rising costs.

If you're having issues paying for your gas and electricity, our new Struggling with energy bills? guide details all the help available. This includes when to speak to your provider, what grants and help schemes you may be able to access, how to get free energy and debt advice, and the freebies and grants that can improve your home's energy efficiency, plus more.

It's also worth seeing if you can use less to cut bills – our energy saving tips can help with the simpler stuff, such as turning your thermostat down and cutting shower time, while our Energy mythbusting guide looks at the less clear-cut questions, such as whether to leave the heating on low all day.